Skip to main content

How do you fit in?



I watched the movie Perks of a Wallflower on Saturday night.  It was a haunting reminder of high school and how I didn't fit in.  It was sweet, honest and cut to the core of what happens when one feels alone.  Alone in a way that you are convinced that no other soul could possibly identify with.  And yet, it seems there must be so many of us that have felt that.  Especially back then.

What about adulthood?  What about when you have a mortgage and a career, even a spouse and children.  Are there times it is acceptable to feel like you don't fit in?

Whether it's acceptable or not, it  happens.  There are times when I'm sure I'm the only one who could possibly be feeling the way I do.  Left out.  Alone.  Hiding even.

And those are times of perseverance and tremendous growth.  They are times when I need to reach deep within and listen to my heart.  My gut even.  Although that works best for initial reactions.  I try to  find time each day to listen to the quiet.  To allow my heart to have a time to beat without judgement.

When I find peace within it becomes a lot less lonely on the outside.  I've learned to trust myself these days.  And yet sometimes it's a crap shoot.  I try new things, I invest time and energy in new people and all the while I could be setting myself up to fail.  And the alone part is that you have to do these things from yourself.

Take a chance.  Live for today.

And although I might not always fit in, I am more comfortable with who I am.  And that is a lot less lonely.  And who wants to all be alike anyway?  That would be so boring - at least that's what I tell my daughter.  And I need to believe it too.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Never Quit!

Sometimes that's hard.  Not to quit.  Not to give up.  On running, on eating right, on being a good friend, on keeping up with the dusting, on putting a smile on my face when I'm in tears on the inside. But somehow I manage. It may take me some time to get back on track, but I don't give up.  I sustain.  I believe my purpose is to do the best I'm able, and to take others along.  Help bring others up - show them the way, give them a smile and my other motto, 'Do a good deed." That may require that I dig deep.  Doesn't feel like that effort is within grasp.  Today is not one of those days.  Even after the Game 6 loss of the B's in the Stanley Cup Finals.  I believe I can do this ... and that's the mental battle needed to win when striving to 'never quit'. Really nice things that have happened in the last week days - - Received an incredibly thoughtful thank you card from my roommate in college - She's going through a tough tim...

Get back to it!

We have quite a bit going on as a family these days.  We're getting ready to move our lives from Illinois to Texas in a matter of two weeks.  And these days are filled with preparation on both ends to ensure that we move in one piece and as unscathed as possible.  There are things like jobs, school, household items, cars, houses on both ends, and all the coordination it takes to make it happen.  Oh, then throw in that wonderful husband's travel schedule has imploded and he's been on the road for three weeks straight.  Not to worry - I can do hard things! And I will continue to do them. So when he was back home for the weekend I was pleasantly surprised when he suggested that we all get outside on Saturday and walk the trails of the local park.  We did four miles together.  Our daughter on her scooter a safe distance ahead of us and us enjoying the scenery and talking on and off about the move. It was wonderful.  The weather was perfect. ...

Goal Setting and Success!

Today was a winning day for me.  I am closer to my goals than ever before.  As you may recall I set three goals for myself involving weight loss, successful professional accreditation and promotion.  I have officially lost 4.5 pounds since April 1st, and today passed another part of the designation making be exactly halfway complete! This is a huge accomplishment for me!  I've sacrificed and put the time in to set myself up to succeed.  Each step is not always forward, but I do keep moving. My husband said to me tonight after work (and finding out I passed another part).  "I really admire your determination to keep going.  I would have quit long ago.  But not you.  You didn't let it get you down." That truly means the world, not that he sees me as successfully passing, but that success has not come easily.  And I refused to be defined by it.  I am driven, determined and downright stubborn when it comes to going after ...